Engine Stalling, Hesitation - Avensis 2.2 Dcat 150Bhp

[Kris_B]

Hi All,

I wonder if anybody had experienced this before?

My car is an 07 reg estate, T180 150 bhp, 136k miles

Only bought it a fortnight ago with good comprehensive SH, single owner from new.

According to the paperwork the car had EGR Valve replaced in march this year, 5k miles ago (after he broke down on the motorway). Also around 70k a few years ago.

Regularly serviced, all filters replaced just before I bought it... so it makes me suspecting that the previous owner may have experienced the same issue and tried to work out the cause...

Anyways, the idle sometimes unstable but whats more worrying is that one morning the engine started choking then stopped at a traffic light...

The idle didn't pick up, unless I hit the floor (car standing) then slowly it revs up.

Then on I have to keep the rev over 2000 rpm otherwise the engine stops...

If I turn the ignition off then It will start after a couple of attempts and I can drive away like nothing happened...

This has happened twice under my short ownership... once warm on my way to work then after a cold start just leaving my house.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks,

Kris

[Mr.D]

Hi,

Hard to tell because it can be because of many things. I would start with fuel filter replacement, easiest and cheapest way, stalling motor in free revs eliminates turbo, so it is air or fuel. If air, start with cleaning MAF and if handy enough try checking EGR, failure of both of them at the same time or seperatelly might be the case. If neither then fuel, but it can be more than you think, either filter, preasure in fuel rail, cloged up injectors ( wouldn't explaint driving off after couple restarts). In your case would start with fuel filter, air filter, MAF and EGR if neither, then diagnostics has to be done, if only error read will show the problem, then it is ok if not deeper diagnostics is required, this means for fuel injector compensation ratio, fuel preasure in rail, SCV valves and so on.

[Kris_B]

Hi Mr. D,

Thanks for your advice.

The EGR valve had been replaced twice thro the life of this car, first at 70k and second @ 130k.

The car was serviced recently including fuel filter.

So a few boxes ticked.

I'll try the MAF cleaning this weekend and will check the air filter.

The fuel consumption is also horrendous, ~35mpg on the first tank, driving it gentle on Shell diesel..

~32mpg on the second full tank, Shell VPower diesel.

Many thanks,

Kris

[Kris_B]

Well ,brief update on the situation.

The car is fine ever since the two occurrences.

It makes me wonder if it was the fuel??

I have been using Shell only in my cars for long long years. My previous petrol cars were grateful for the V-power fuel, so I thought I carry on using it in my diesels too.

So I continued to use Shell fuel in my diesels too. The car was filled up with V-Power Diesel on the second occasion, on the first one (about a week earlier) it was either Shell Diesel or Shell V-Power diesel. (i can't remember, also can't remember if it was the same fill up).

Anyways, since then I used BP and Esso diesel and the car is fine.... mpg back to 35ish from the horrendous 32 on VPower diesel.

I cleaned the MAF just in case, it wasn't dirty.

Also put some Millers Diesel Power EcoMAx to flush it thro, it had good reviews. Tho Dcat owners didn't gain much.

Won't do any harm I suppose..

[Heidfirst]

Hi Kristian. My 2.2 definitely runs smoother on Vpower than normal diesel & I prefer Shell to either Esso or BP so I don't think that you can generically blame Shell but possibly one garage had some contaminated fuel or possibly the previous owner had misfuelled it some way & there was still a remnant in the tank?

Also,for completeness in your first post you say that you have a T180 150bhp - you can't. It's either a T180 (177bhp) or it has 150bhp (actually 147bhp).

You can have a 2.2 D-CAT with 150bhp but that would be a very, very rare car in the UK (your profile says West Midlands) at that age. Most UK 2.2s 150bhps of that age were not D-CATs.

[Kris_B]

Hi Scott,

Thanks for the feedback. What mpg do you get from your Avensis?

valid point regarding the horsepowerage, I never checked the V5 just took the word of the dealer.. (silly thing, usually I don't believe a world they say)

Had a look now, it states 130kW, that is 177bhp as you suggested.

It disappoints me a bit though, because the car is not particularly powerful... My previous car was a new shape Honda Accord with the new iDTEC 150bhp engine, with 65k miles when I sold it.This Accord was far more dynamic..

cheers,

Kris

[Heidfirst]

On my manual 57 plate 2.2 Tourer I used to overall get ~ 45mpg over the Summer & ~42mpg over the Winter. Variable of course per journey according to roads, traffic etc.- best ever was~57mpg.

Your T180 will do noticeably less because it has the DPF with 5th injector & of course more power.

Looking at the manufacturer's figures the T180 should be quicker than your old Honda so it's either down on power, rewards a different driving style or it's perceptual that it's slower rather than actually being slower. You could always stick a tuning box on it which would affect the style of power delivery as well as actual power output but that should also be declared to your insurer if you do so & may affect your premium.

[Colspur66]

Sorry to show ignorance, I have removed and cleaned EGR successfully on my T180, but where exactly is the maf and what does it look like?

[Kris_B]

On the top of your air filter box, on the outlet side. fixed with two screws, with a wired connector plugging into it.

Black plastick-ish, an inch by an inch in size, inserted in to air hose.

[Mistermena]

Clean it with some CRC spray or electrical contact cleaner. This can be bought from Maplins ect. Don't use any harsh sprays like carb cleaner! Or it could damage the MAF